Valve



Feb. 3, 1942. w. G. wA'rKlNs VALVE Filed May 13, 1940 Patented F eb. 3, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VALVE y Walter G. Watkins, North Kansas City, Mo.

Application May 13, 1940, Serial No. 334,777

6 Claims.

This invention relates to valves employed in liquefied gas systems at the point of discharge of the gas from a tank, which is usually portable, and the primary object is to provide a combination coupling and valve for the tanks of liqueed gas systems, which serves to quickly establish a connection between the tank and other parts of the system and to protect the contents of the tank during transportation in the event the por-` tion of the valve projecting beyond the tank is broken. y

One of the important aims of the instant invention is the provision of a valve for liquefied gas system tanks, the parts of which. may be moved to the connected position` without the employment of tools or wrenches, and which parts may be used at the plant in quickly recharging the tank without removal of the valve or any part thereof.

This invention has for another aim, the provision of a valve wherein is provided a diaphragm assembly, the movement of which permits the opening and closing of the passage through the valve body so that the parts of the valve may be disposed in the operative position with a minimum amount of work and without special tools or the manipulation of screw-threaded ttings.

An even further object of this invention is to provide a valve for the tanks of liquefied gas systems, the nature of which valve permits the filling of the tank without manually opening the passage through the body of the valve and through the utilization of the pressure of the gas. Other objects of the invention including specifc structural details will appear during thev course of the followingy specification, referring to v the valve member in the unseated position as the valve would appear in an open liquefied gas systern.

This invention is embodied in vvalves particularly useful in controlling the i'low of gas from portable tanks, not here shown.y

The valve body 6 has a passage 8 formed therethrough, a seat I 0 created thereon within the passage near one end of body 6, and a shoulder I2 circumscribing passage 8 near the opposite end of body 6. v

A Wrench engaging portion i4 on body 6 has bonnet I6 in screw-threaded engagement therewith, and acylindrical screw-threaded portion I8 depending from one side thereof. This cylindrical portion I8 is secured to the tank in the conventionalvfashion so that the free end of portion I8 is housed in aprotected manner within the tank.

A plug having perforations 22 therein is fitted into the free end of cylindrical portion I8, and a valve member 24 having a face of resilient material 28..is held in place by plug 20 so that spring 28 yieldably maintainsy valve,v member 24 in the seated position illustrated in Fig. 2.

Notched extension 30 has a screw-threaded neck 32 thereon that enters socket 34 in valve' memberr 24 so as to removably hold the resilient material 26 in place. Above extension 30 and in longitudinal alignment therewith is disposed a hollow stem 3G, on one end of which is formed a head 38. f

A diaphragm 46 of flexible' material, circumy scribes hollow stem 36 and is held in position against the underside of head38 .by nut 42, which.

Y hasone end thereof formed to present a convex face 56 which is complementary to concave face 58 formed onfthe upper end of stem 36.

Abore 6,8 provided in fitting 54 isin communication with the passage created in hollow stem 36 for the purpose, more fully hereinafter set down.

When the valve is in place on the liquefied gas system tank, the parts are disposed in the open position by swinging lever about its axis of rotation on yoke 48. f

Such movement will depress tting 54 and move hollow stem 36 downwardly against notched extension 3i). Spring 23 is then compressed and tight joint before tting and stem 54 andl 36v move downward. When cam lever 50 is employed a reasonably tight it between nut 42 and shoulder I2 is established. If other means, such as a screw are used to force 54 and 36 downwardly, the t between shoulder I2 and nut 42 may be much tighter, as well understood by those familiar with the art. Such engagement between l2 and 42 prevents undue pressure on diaphragm 40 and seals against the passage of gas.

When valve member 24 is opened as in Fig. 3, gas pressure under diaphragm 40 and associated parts further assists in establishing connection at surfaces 56 and 58.

When it is desired t close the valve, lever 56 is manually manipulated, valve member 24 is permitted to seat and then fitting 54 may be entirely removed from the position in bonnet I6, if desired. The head 38 on stem 36 will be in the position shown in Fig. 2, and diaphragm 4i! will be moved from the condition illustrated in Fig. 3, to that shown in Fig. 2. Valve member 24 will again be set and the tank may be transported to a point where it is to be filled or otherwise used.

When filling the tank with which this valve is associated, it is only necessary to quickly insert another tting such as 54 and thereafter force iiuid through hollow stem 36 in a direction tending to unseat valve member 24. Spring 28 is y relatively weak and the fluid pressure itself will serve to maintain valve member 24 in an unseated position so that the tank may be quickly iilled.

Notched extension 3l) serves as a guide to prevent accidental displacement of valve member 24. If diaphragm 40 should accidentally become leaky, the connection between nut 42 and shoulder yl2 is tight enough to prevent the loss vof an appreciable amount of the fluid.

Lever 56 has cam face 52 of special nature,

formed thereon. Flat portion 62 snaps against? the planar outer end of iitting 54 so as to lock lever i! against accidental movement. Such arrangement insures against accidentally leaving the connection between 36 and 54 in a leaky condition for the lever will jump to a fully released position under the influence of spring 44 unless locked in place as in Fig. l.

A valve made-in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention is easily assembled and any part that must be replaced may be quickly renewed without mutilating the remaining parts of the valve assembly.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new anddesired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A valve of the character described comprising a body provided with a'passage therethrough and a seat in said passage; a valve member yieldl ably maintained against the seat; a hollow stem mounted within the passage -for movement toward and from the valve member; a diaphragm circumscribing the stem with its outer vperiphery secured to the body to establish a transverse partition in the passage; a fitting provided with a bore in communication with the hollow stem; and manually operable means for moving the said valve member, the hollow stem and said fitting in one direction along the passage to move the said Valve member from the seat whereby the fitting will form a leak-tight connection with the hollow stem before the latter moves against the said valve member.

2. A valve of the character described compris- Cil and a seat in said passage; a valve member yieldably maintained against the seat; a hollow Stem mounted within the passage for movement toward and from the valve member; a diaphragm circumscribing the stern with its outer periphery secured to the body to establish a transverse partition in the passage; a tting provided with a bore in communication with the hollow stem; and manually operable means for moving the said valve member, the hollow stern and said tting in one direction along the passage to move the said valve member from the seat, said fitting and said stem having cooperating faces in abuting a body provided with a passage therethrough 7 5 ting relation at their zone of juncture to create a gas-tight joint, said gas-tight joint being formed before the stem moves against the said valve member.

3. A valve of the character described comprising a body provided with a passage therethrough; a seat on the body near one end of and circumscribing the passage; a shoulder on the body near the other end of and circumscribing the passage; a valve member yieldably maintained against the seat to close the passage; a hollow stem having a head thereon mounted within theA passage forA movement toward the valve member when the latter is seated; a iiexible diaphragm circumscribing the stem with its outer periphery secured to the body to establish a transverse partition in the passage; a iitting provided with a bore in communication with the hollow stem; and manually operable means for moving the said valve member, the hollow stem and said fitting in one direction along the passage to unseat the valvemem- Y, ber, said head having a portion thereof against the shoulder to limit themovement of the hollow stem in said one direction and to cooperate with the diaphragm in closing the passage to the passage of fluid therethrough, said fitting forming a leak-tight connection with the hollow stem before the stem moves against the valve member.

4. A valve of the character described comprising a body provided with `a passage therethrough; a seat on the body near one end of and circumscribing the passage;,a shoulder on the body near the other end of and circumscribing the passage; a valve member having a notched extension thereon yieldably maintained against the seat to close the passage; a hollow stem having a head thereon mounted within the passage for movement toward Athe extension on the valve member when the latter is seated; a iiexible diaphragm circumscribing theV stem with its outer periphery secured to the body to establish a transverse partition in the passage; a fittingprovided with a bore in communication with the hollow stem; means on the body to move .the ttinginwardly against the hollow stem; and a stop to limit the inward movement of the stem, said tting'and said hollow stern having complementary faces in abutting relation movable into tight engagement;-

5. A valve of the character described comprisv ing a body provided with a passage therethrough,

and a seat in said passage; avalve member yieldably maintained against the seat; a hollow stem mounted within the passage for movment towardy and from the valve member; a diaphragm circumscribing the stem with its outer periphery secured to the body to establish a transverse partition in the passage; a fitting provided with a bore in communication with'the. hollow stem; and manually operable means for moving the said ward and from the valve member; a diaphragm circumsoribing the stem with its outer periphery secured to the body to establish a transverse partition in the passage; a fitting provided with a bore in communication with the hollow stem; and means mounted on the valve for moving the fitting into the body passage a predetermined iixed distance against the hollow stem whereby to form and break a gas-tight connection between the ttingand the stem before and after the valve is opened and closed respectively.

WALTER G. WATKINS. 

